The omega-3 fatty acids—found in fish and fish oil supplements—could prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness and poor sight in the elderly.

No drugs can treat the problem, but researchers have found that omega-3 blocks the growth of blood vessels, one of the main characteristics of AMD.

Although the tests thus far have been on laboratory mice, researchers from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear research institute are confident that the fatty acids could work just as well on human subjects.

Their discovery couldn’t come at a better time. It’s reckoned that the prevalence of AMD will increase by 50% by 2020.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1401191111) Other sources: